Startup displays explorer window for folder SYSTEM32

[GS]

I'm new to this forum and so my newsreader didn't download all the
message history it contains. Sorry if this topic has already been
addressed here but I can't find anything in my listing that relates.

After a recent Live Update my machine started displaying an explorer
window for the System32 folder. Does anyone know why this is happening
and/or how to prevent it happening? (I'm running XP Pro SP3)

Thanks in advance...

--
Garry

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[Woof]

I'm new to this forum and so my newsreader didn't download all the message

history it contains. Sorry if this topic has already been addressed here but
I can't find anything in my listing that relates.

After a recent Live Update my machine started displaying an explorer window
for the System32 folder. Does anyone know why this is happening and/or how to
prevent it happening? (I'm running XP Pro SP3)

Thanks in advance...

This occurs in NT systems (NT, XP, 2K) and is usually caused by a null,
missing, or damaged registry entry. You can fix it if you are VERY
careful. A null entry would be ""


Here is the Microsoft support article on it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/170086

 

[Paul]

This occurs in NT systems (NT, XP, 2K) and is usually caused by a null,
missing, or damaged registry entry. You can fix it if you are VERY
careful. A null entry would be ""


Here is the Microsoft support article on it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/170086

Would such an entry be visible in Autoruns.exe ?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902

Paul

 

[Char Jackson]

Would such an entry be visible in Autoruns.exe ?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902

In my experience, yes, but it's a lot faster to just go to the
registry (the two Run keys). Once there, it's easy to spot the problem
and fix it.

 

[GS]

Char Jackson explained on 5/9/2012 :

In my experience, yes, but it's a lot faster to just go to the
registry (the two Run keys). Once there, it's easy to spot the problem
and fix it.

Thanks Woof, Paul!
I did check the Reg keys as per the article Woof posted a link to. I
didn't find any of the conditions listed but the article also states to
verify all entries have valid values. I have the app AutoRuns.exe in
the suite I got from SysInternals some time ago. It does show 4 entries
where the value under the 'Image Path' column begins with "File not
found:", which I presume is an *invalid* entry where it's followed by a
path\filename. There were 3 of these for older versions of software
that have either been updated with current versions or uninstalled, and
so I deleted these. There is 1 for entry *ISUSPM* where its value is
"-scheduler". Since I don't know what this is I'm inclined to not mess
with it.

Otherwise, how else can I verify the other entries have valid values?

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Garry

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[GS]

Char Jackson has brought this to us :

In my experience, yes, but it's a lot faster to just go to the
registry (the two Run keys). Once there, it's easy to spot the problem
and fix it.

Thanks for your input. Just so you know.., it was faster using AutoRuns
to find the problem entries than it was for navigating just to one of
the two keys, let alone having to read and verify if each entry is
valid! AutoRuns is an awesome tool IMO!

--
Garry

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[GS]

Results...

After reboot the folder still displayed so I deleted the HKCU entry for
*ISUSPM* and bootup is now normal.

My thanks to all for your assistance. I really appreciate your time and
efforts...

--
Garry

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[Peter Foldes]

Garry

Right click on the Explorer in Start\Programs and select Properties and in the
Target Window replace with the following C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /e,c:

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[GS]

Peter Foldes brought next idea :

Garry

Right click on the Explorer in Start\Programs and select Properties and in
the Target Window replace with the following C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
/e,c:

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Thanks, Peter

I have that set for something else already, and it's been working fine
for some years now! Removing invalid entries in those 2 registry keys
has corrected the problem.

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Garry

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[GS]

rb has brought this to us :

Click Start, Run, type --> msconfig'
then select the Startup tab.

Uncheck entries that match any of these registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

That would be every entry in those keys when I really only want
'invalid' entries. Are you suggesting any 'problem' entries will be
flagged as such here?

Otherwise, using this method (now) doesn't seem to be any more
advantage than viewing those keys directly via regedit. Well.., it does
list them grouped and so is better than browsing via regedit. IOW, it
doesn't show me any problem entries as did AutoRuns.exe! Perhaps this
is due to the fact that the problem entries have been deleted and this
issue is now resolved.

--
Garry

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[GS]

rb laid this down on his screen :

Invalid HKLM and HKCU entries are not 'flagged' in msconfig as they are
in Autoruns,
but should be easy to spot by the path entry in 'Command' column.
In your situation the invalid HKLM and HKCU entries would have a folder

path of C:\Windows\system32 in 'Command' column.

Since the problem has been resolved, those entries would no longer
be listed in Startup Tab.

Thanks! ..looks like I'll keep using the SysInternals utilities since
they do 'flag' problems. Though, it would definitely be a worthwhile
exercise to deliberately create a bogus entry and see how msconfig
displays it so I'll know what to expect on machines that don't have the
SysInternals utilities installed.

--
Garry

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